Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Something New with Glue

Yesterday children used glue in a new way... they drew with it!  Bea explained the process:
   "You take a paper and then you draw with glue.  Then you wait until it dries and then you paint and let it dry."
The children recently made individual and collaborative mosaics and this process will yield a mosaic-like result.  The process also connects to the negative-space watercolors that children did last month.  

Cape spent almost all afternoon working with the glue.  
   Cape - I liked it.  It takes a little practice, but I got better.  I did the Paw Patrol remote control with the signs and the pups inside.  And I did some cages. 

While many children made designs on their paper, Cate included a heart and the word "MOM."

Transforming our Prints

As children worked with dendritic prints last week, they had several ideas about what the resulting work resembled.  "Seaweed" was a common repose and Finlay thought his blue print looked like the ocean.  Children were invited to transform some of their prints, perhaps collaging underwater scenes.  We had done another kind of printing in 2021, and asked children to cut them and use them in other work.  At that time, they had been resistant, perhaps not wanting to damage their previous efforts.  Yesterday, they were willing to transform some of their prints into new possibilities.  

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Finlay - this is an underwater base.  These two shells are the cameras.  The fish is the guard and her protects the people inside. 

Wilder - This is an undersea picture. 

Lucas - These (the rectangle pieces) are the doors to the sea.  I'm making the mean crab's home in Moana.  That's a scary movie.  The shells are details.  

Cate

Remy

Jade

As these three children worked on their multi-media creations, they often shared ideas.
   Jade - (Looking at one of her prints). This looks like a sunset, or a brain, or seaweed.
   Cate - Can I draw on here?  I can draw seaweed. 
   Jade - I'm going to make a submarine.
   Cate - I'll do a submarine, too.   Look at this fish.... with bubbles.
   Remy - That's ( a curvy part of her drawing) the rollercoaster that makes hearts.  The fishes' hearts.  
   Jade - There's a snowman under here.  It's cold water.  I'm making purple and blue and green seaweed.  And orange.  

From Transformations to Transformers!

Jade - I think Jordan would like this field trip, but he's not here. 

It was a beautiful day to go for a neighborhood walk.  We didn't tell the children our destination, but we gave them some clues.  We told them that there were sort of close to the Georgetown Campus, and that they were powerful.  
 At lunch:
    Cate - I know what they are.  They're the things people put together and they're blue and yellow.  They're behind Holy Trinity.  I saw them before.  My dad and my brother brung  me there.  
   Lucas - Are they magical?  Are they statues who have batteries?

They didn't have batteries and they might not be magical, but the children were impressed!  As we arrived there we several exclamations of "Cool!."
    Wilder - Are they taking us to Robotland?
    Cape - They are made out of lots of metals. 
    Finlay - I think those guys are guardians.    
    Wilder - Are they guardian robots?
     Bea - People here can see them.
    Cate - (While standing close) I'm starting to feel scared of them.  They look like they could fall over.  
    Wilder - They look like giants.
    Brigitte- Do you have a favorite part?
    Bea - I like the face.
    Cate - They look like real life.
     Jade - I like the head.
     Wilder - I like the feet.
     Cate - I like the whole thing.

During our walk, it was clear that children had several neighborhood landmarks in mind.  They remembered which house Frannie's grandfather lives in and many children recognized the bagel shop.   As we were walking back to school, we decided to head up the hill and past the front of Holy Trinity.  
    Cate- Yes, that's the only way to get to O Street. 

A Look at Tablesetting

In the Five Things email last week, it mentioned that the next PTC meeting would feature short videos from each class.  KW was thinking of sharing table setting videos, but we've decided to go a different direction.  We thought we would share them here instead.  As they set the table, children love to develop beautiful centerpieces.  You will also notice that sometimes a child will add an individual item (e.g. a shell) for each child.  As children put out the name cards, they are working with counting and one-to one correspondence.  They also make thoughtful decisions about who should sit where. As you can see, this relatively simple, everyday experience combines, creativity, cognition, and social elements.